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 IN THE NEWS:  
 
 


Background Checks For Employees Who Make House Calls

To all of you who have met and talked with the folks from The Sue Weaver Cause, this is the exact scenario that they are trying to bring attention too. They need our support and equally important these laws need to be passed to save lives.

Killing of cable customers spurs proposed law. Chicago businesses and their subcontractors would be required to conduct criminal background checks on employees who make house calls -- and bar home entry by those convicted of sex crimes -- under a crackdown advanced by a City Council committee Wednesday in response to two recent murders. The Finance Committee approved a broad ordinance that would require every company holding a Chicago business license and its subcontractors to conduct criminal screening of employees who make house calls.

For More Information Go To: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/206561,CST-NWS-cable11.article



Minorities Are Starting To Fight Employers Over The Use Of Credit History In Hiring

BOSTON – Credit checks are a growing factor in hiring, with 35 percent of employers checking applicants' credit in 2003, up from 19 percent in 1996, according to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Some privacy and minority advocates are now seeing credit as a civil rights issue as minorities start to fight employers and insurers who base decisions on credit histories. "It's definitely a civil rights issue because of the growing use of credit reports and credit scores for hiring, renting an apartment, insurance, and the fact that people of color have not been integrated into the credit scoring system as much as traditional, white, middle-class America," says Evan Hendricks, author of "Credit Scores & Credit Reports: How the System Really Works, What You Can Do." So far, there's a lack of data supporting a relationship between bad credit and theft by employees. Eastern Kentucky University conducted perhaps the only study published on the subject in 2003 and found no correlation between employee credit reports and negative performance or termination for dishonesty. "Employers seem to be assuming that somebody with a poor credit history is more likely to steal, and I don't think there's any kind of evidence that supports that," says Dianna Johnston, assistant legal counsel with the EEOC.

For More Information Go to: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0118/p01s03-ussc.html





 LEGAL ISSUES:

States cracking Down on Illegal Workers

States are showing interest in laws that would require employers to participate in a controversial federal government system designed to verify the work eligibility of employees. Legislators in Colorado and Georgia have passed laws requiring government contractors to participate, or attempt to participate, in the federal government's online employment verification system. The program, known as the Basic Pilot, is voluntary in most jurisdictions. It checks information in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration databases in an effort to ensure that new hires are eligible to work in the United States.

Other states are also cracking down on illegal workers:

Louisiana. Effective June 23, 2006, SB 753 prohibits awarding state contracts to employers who operate a Louisiana business of more than 10 employees if they knowingly employ an undocumented foreign national worker.

Pennsylvania. Effective Aug. 11, 2006, HR 2319 prohibits state contractors from knowingly employing or knowingly permitting their subcontractors to employ undocumented workers.

Tennessee. Effective Jan. 1, 2007, HB 111 prohibits companies from contracting with the state without first attesting in writing that it will not knowingly use the services of illegal immigrants or of any subcontractor who will use illegal immigrants.

Bills are pending in Alabama, Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin, speakers said. In addition, many local jurisdictions are cracking down on illegal hiring, the speakers said.

For More Information Go To: http://www.shrm.org/hrnews_published/archives/CMS_019665.asp
(Full article only available to SHRM Members)

 DATA PROTECTION:

ASIS International Seeks Comments on Information Asset Protection Draft Guidelines

Alexandria, VA - ASIS International (ASIS), the preeminent organization for security professionals worldwide, through its Commission on Guidelines and the Information Asset Protection Committee, today released the Information Asset Protection Draft Guideline. The guideline seeks to help organizations develop and implement a policy and comprehensive risk-based strategy to protect their intellectual property, proprietary information and other intangible assets. The Information Asset Protection Draft Guideline is available for a public review and comment period of 60 days, ending February 14, 2007.

For More Information Go To: http://www.asisonline.org/guidelines/guidelineiapdraft.pdf


Avoiding the Perils of Electronic Data

Each time your employees edit a Word document or create an Excel spreadsheet, they unknowingly leave behind vital hidden electronic data. These data can include, for example, text that a manager added or deleted to a performance review, formulas employees used for making spreadsheet calculations, and information regarding which individuals accessed a file, when they accessed it and how they changed it. These records can be so important in legal proceedings that courts increasingly are requiring employers to maintain and track such hidden data, which do not exist in paper records. For HR, the unique challenges posed by maintaining and tracking such hidden electronic data require working with IT staff, legal counsel and business units to formulate an effective electronic data retention policy. The need for such policies has never been greater. See suggestions for how to create a Document Retention Policy.

For More Information Go To: http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/articles/0107/0107roberts.asp

The Insider Threat - Attack Risks In The IT Department

Thirty percent of insiders who launch system attacks have criminal records, says Dawn Cappelli, a senior member of Carnegie Mellon University's CERT security response team, citing a 2006 study. In that study, 73% of companies did background checks, compared with just 48% in the 2005 study. Companies just starting to do checks on job candidates should go back and check on current employees, too, says Ken van Wyk of information security consulting firm KRvW Associates.

For More Information Go To: http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=
0I1SWOIKLZ5DUQSNDLOSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=196602853

 DATA PROTECTION: continued

Seven Steps To Follow When Data Leakage Strikes

At a recent summit on "data leakage," Experian Corp. chief information security officer James Christiansen provided a very useful rundown of what to do before, during, and after a data breach or a court-issued subpoena for data. As states continue to pass laws that hold companies accountable for lost or stolen data, federal legislation on this subject is making its way, albeit slowly, through Congress. The courts have also tightened their reins on data discovery by amending the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to compel companies to produce any and all available data pertinent to a court case.

Click Here to Read About Christiansen's Cardinal Rules: http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2006/12/you_might_want.html

 FUTURE TRENDS SURVEY:

I would like to tap into the collective brain trust of the industry to see what people think the future holds for the background industry. Please go to http://www.surveyz.com/TakeSurvey?id=62363 and answer the following question: All responses will be anonymous and unknown to me.

  • What are the top five issues that you think will have the most impact on background screening within the next 5 years?

I will summarize the findings in the February edition.

 CONTINUOUS SCREENING CASE

Railroad Abruptly Fires Longtime Workers

31 employees of H & M International Transportation – many of them members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters labor union – were fired in November from jobs at the Union Pacific Railroad without the hearing required by union bylaws. The men, convicted felons who have served their sentences and re-entered society, disclosed this information completely when they were hired. Last March, they did so again when told under threat of firing that they must complete forms characterized as credit checks. After submitting the required information, the workers also completed an Internet test on railroad safety and security. Eight months later, they were notified by telephone or letter that H&M was instituting an “involuntary separation of their employment,” apparently as security risks. None of the workers has been involved in criminal cases since employment; nor is misconduct on the job been alleged. On the contrary, some of them have received raises and promotions. All have worked overtime, some 14 days straight, before being fired.

For More Information Go To:http://www.rainbowpush.org/FMPro?-db=rp5h%2fdata06%2fdetailpress.htm

The above situation illustrates the problems that firms can run into if Post Hire Screening of employees is not done well. Infinity Screening Services was started to help firms avoid these kinds of issues and to implement post hire screening without causing a lot of headaches and pain. Let’s us help you sell your continuous screening solutions and offer a total screening solution to your clients. They will think you for later.

For more information call Barry Nixon at 949-770-5264

 

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 JOB BOARD DEDICATED TO THE BACKGROUND SCREENING INDUSTRY

Find resumes of people with industry experience and industry employers seeking industry experience.

BackgroundScreeningJobs.com - your one stop source to quickly and easily find people in the background screening industry. Go to backgroundscreeningjobs.com today!

 INTERNATIONAL UPDATE:

The Current Legal Framework Of The Data Privacy And Personal Information Protection In Mexico

Bills governing the access and protection of personal data in credit bureaus and public government files, were introduced and passed by the Federal Congress while President Fox (2000-2006) was in office. The purpose of this paper is to describe the current legal framework of the Data Privacy provisions, established in an array of pieces of federal legislation, which will be analyzed hereinafter. As will be noted, new federal legislation has also covered broader protection to consumers, both "on line" and "off line," as established in the recent amendments to the Federal Consumer Protection Act. In spite of the opposing voices to the approval of data protection legislation, our conclusion is that in our globalized world, companies in Mexico, should implement corporate data privacy policies and procedures, in order to comply with foreign recommendations and local laws and regulations.

For More Information Go To: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=45282

Police Officer Recruits, Community Support Officers And Special Constables Should Have DNA Checks

United Kingdom - The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) advocates DNA checks for recruits, community support officers and special constables to ensure they have no criminal record. Tony Lake, ACPO lead on forensic science and chief constable of Lincolnshire Police, told Police Review that we should go run a specific search on the national DNA database to see that they are not only who they say they are, but that they are not linked to any outstanding crimes.”

For More Information Go To: http://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2007/01/05/387
46/police-chiefs-call-for-dna-checks-on-new-officers-community-support-staff-and-special.html

World-Check Alerting the Industry to Terrorists and other High-Risk Entitities

LONDON, September 13th, 2006. World-Check, the leading provider of risk-related intelligence on heightened risk individuals and entities, is proud of its record of being ahead of the sanction-list curve. During the last 18 months, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) augmented the OFAC List with some 330 individuals and entities. Through its continued research and expertise, World-Check had identified 89 of these prior to their inclusion on OFAC. Of even further note, 21 of these 89 are in relation to terrorism. Once again World-Check has proven its worth as an early-warning system in protecting the financial community from adverse risk. Over 2,000 institutions, including 45 of the world’s 50 largest financial institutions and hundreds of government agencies, rely on the World-Check database of known heightened-risk individuals and businesses to efficiently screen their customers, associates, transactions and employees for potential risk.

For More Information Go To: http://www.world-check.com/media/d/content_pressrelease_reference/OFAC20061218.pdf

 “GOT INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION?”

World-Check, the leading provider of risk-related intelligence on heightened risk individuals and entities can now be accessed via the International Recourses Center.

Our intent is to continuous add relevant information to create a valuable resource that will be used over and over by anyone looking for information on doing international background verifications, vetting or verifications. It includes information on EU countries data protection and other laws, Canada, terrorist searches and much more. Also included is very practical information on time zones, locating cities, etc. Check it out and I am sure you will want to Bookmark it so you can use it over and over. To view the International Section go to www.PreemploymentDirectory.com and look under the line in the middle of the page:

 2007 Background Buzz MEDIA RATES:

We have added some NEW advertising Options to The Background Buzz!

Click here for more information about advertising in The Background Buzz and PreemploymentDirectory.com (Sections: US Provider, International, Vendor Showcase.)

 NAPBS CORNER

One of the true test of any association or organization is the added value it gives to its members. In today’s fast pace environment busy professionals have to make choices about how to spend their time and which organizations they want to be associated with. The following is one person’s experience that clearly demonstrates the value that NAPBS has contributed to him.

NAPBS membership has been the greatest networking opportunity for Backgroundchecks.com. It has provided our company a platform to address one of our biggest challenges, educating the marketplace about databases. We have been able to share detailed information concerning national databases and we have been successful in partnering with other companies to teach end users best practices.

Alice Jones, ajones@backgroundchecks.com, http://www.Backgroundchecks.com

 HAVE YOU VISITED OUR VENDOR SHOWCASE LATELY?

Looking for the Top Suppliers in the Industry? Need to find a new Supplier?

Visit PreemploymentDirectory.com’s VENDOR SHOWCASE which features suppliers to the Background Screening Industry (go to www.PreemploymentDirectory.com, click on ‘Click Here’ and then scroll down to Vendor Showcase for Background Screening Industry Suppliers)

One Place! Many Suppliers!

 COMPETITIVE MOVES:

ClearStar.Net Partners with BRB Publications to Streamline Education Verifications

Roswell, GA – ClearStar.net, a leading service provider for the employment screening industry, announced today the formation of a new partnership with BRB Publications. Under the terms of the arrangement, members of the ClearStar.net distribution network will now be able to gain direct access to the educational institution information as well as the state Motor Vehicle Records information in the BRB Publications database. "Historically, education verifications have been a relentless job for background screening firms," explained R.J. Vale, CEO of ClearStar.net. "By integrating the BRB Publications database, we've eliminated many of the tedious steps and streamlined the verification process to save time and money for our members." With ClearStar.net's new education service, suppliers or processors can search for colleges and technical schools in the BRB Database by name or location then view degrees granted and capture the contact information necessary to secure alumni verifications.

For More Information Go To: www.ClearStar.net

Microbilt Corporation Names New Chairman, CEO And President

MicroBilt, the industry leader in risk management information, providing credit bureau data access and retrieval, providing credit, collection and data sources names Walter Wojciechowski to the role of Chairman, CEO and President. Wojciechowski comes to MicroBilt after serving as Sr Vice President of the CBA Information Solutions division of First Advantage Corporation/Experian North America where he managed the day-to-day operations of this business unit as well as the Eastern region sales and customer relations for First American Credco. Previously, Wojciechowski held CEO, COO and CFO positions at CBA Information Services and spearheaded the strategic sale of the company to Experian North America. Wojciechowski is admired and respected throughout the industry and has served on the board of directors of the CDIA (Consumer Data Industry Association). In addition to his role in overseeing MicroBilt operations, Wojciechowski will be responsible for planning MicroBilt’s overall strategic direction, executing complementary acquisitions and structuring key industry alliances to accelerate MicroBilt’s market expansion.

For More Information Go To: www.MicroBilt.com

 Are You Interested in Reaching Over 691,000 Human Resource Recruiters
Thru the Largest Recruiter Information Portal on the Web?

Onrec.com’s Online Recruitment Magazine has become the #1ranked online recruitment information portal on the Internet.

If you are interested in finding out how we can increase the traffic to your web site and your sales visit us at http://www.onrec.com or call Tim Hartrich at 630-985-3006 today.

All Preemployment Directory.com members will get a 10% Discount on Enhanced Vendor Profiles. Call Tim Hartrich at 630-985-3006 and mention code: PD.COMWBN

 COMPETITIVE MOVES - continued

Intelius Expands Applications For Fortune 500 Customers Through Acquisition Of Intellisense Corporation

BELLEVUE, WA -- Intelius, Inc., a leading company empowering consumers and businesses with online information for intelligent decisions, today expanded the size and scope of its employment screening business with the acquisition of IntelliSense Corporation, an employment screening firm based in Bothell, Wash.

For More Information Go To: http://www.intelius.com/corp

Garda World Security Corporation Buys Kroll Security International

Garda World Security Corporation, a global leader in security and investigations services, acquired Kroll Security International, a London-based leading international provider of high-risk market security services from Kroll, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. Kroll Security generates annual revenue of approximately US$42 million.

For More Information Go To: http://www.garda.ca/news.display.php?lang=en&id=625935

Temp Check Software Launched

BackgroundChecking.com, an Experian company, has launched Temp Check, a background checking service specifically designed for the fast and efficient checking of temporary workforces. There is a perceived inability to perform timely and cost effective checks on individuals who are temporary employees, and even a tendency to ignore the risk and hope that no problems occur. Temp Check provides an automated and rapid overnight service for background checking temporary workers. Once candidates give their consent to a background check, BackgroundChecking.com can provide reports to the HR department or recruitment agency the next day.

For More Information Go To: http://www.recruitermagazine.co.uk/Articles/332443/Temp+Check+software+launched.html

PREEMPLOYMENTDIRECTORY.COM

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  NEW PLATINUM MEMBERS:



  ARTICLES & BOOKS OF INTEREST:

Check Mate - Background screening process is drastically changing for companies
The article takes a glimpse at some of the key issues that will likely impact background screening in the future.

http://www.stevenspublishing.com/Stevens/SecProdPub.nsf/frame?open&red
irect=http://www.stevenspublishing.com/stevens/SecProdPub.Nsf/f4ba66bad665a1098625670c0
0725833/6bf3e218b8e4f4e88625725200668347?OpenDocument

Snakes in Suits
When Psychopaths Go to Work

You are about to hire somebody for a position in your company. Your corporation wants someone who's fearless, charismatic, and full of new ideas. Candidate X is charming, smart, and has all the right answers to your questions. Problem solved, right? Maybe not. The book is a compelling look at exactly how psychopaths work in the corporate environment: what kind of companies attract them, how they negotiate the hiring process, and how they function day by day. http://shrmstore.shrm.org/shrm/product.asp?pf%5Fid=48%2E53503&dept%5Fid=10


  UPCOMING CONFERENCES & EVENTS:

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV, June 24-27, 2007, http://www.shrm.org/conferences/annual/

For Details on State Conferences, go to http://www.shrm.org/conferences/state/CMS_004287.asp

CUPA-HR National Conference & Expo 2007, November 8-10, 2007, http://www.cupahr.org/ http://www.cupahr.org/conferences/conference/exhibitsponsor.html For Details on Regional Conferences go to http://www.cupahr.org/newsroom/news_template.asp?id=1982

World Federation of Personnel Management Associations (WFPMA), World Congress, For Details on International events by date go to http://www.wfpma.com/dates.html



2007 Events (Click Here to View full list of 2007 Events)


 


The Background Buzz is a service of http://www.preemploymentdirectory.com, the premier listing of Preemployment Background Screening companies on the Internet for employers to search for a firm to meet their preemployment background checking needs. The Background Buzz is published by the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc. All logos highlighted in ‘New Featured Clients' are the sole property of the companies named and copyright protected by the respectively named company. Please direct questions, feedback or request to be added to or deleted from our distribution list to wbnixon@aol.com.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is for information purposes only and is not intended to provide professional or legal advise regarding actions to take in any situation. Advertisements are presented for information and marketing purposes only and the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc. makes no representations for any products or services that are promoted and accepts no responsibility for any actions or consequences that occur as a result of any purchases from advertisers.